We love this concept, hotel apartments outfitted with stylish, utilitarian furniture and accessories from Muji. Whotells in Barcelona offers four distinct lodging options in different neighborhoods of the city, all furnished with Muji products (in four palettes: blue, green, orange and gray); think simple, functional Japanese design. The apartments are available on both a long and short-term basis and can accommodate anywhere from three to nine people depening on the unit. For detials, go to Whotells.

Above: A view from the Barceloneta Apartments with instant access to the beach.

 Above: The entry to the Raval Apartments.

Above: Open plan living.

 Above: The simple streamlined kitchen.

Above: A green themed bedroom.

 Above: A penny tiled bathroom in a Raval apartment.

Above: Each of the different locations has a separate color theme, the Barceloneta properties being shades of blue.

Above: The Muji furnished, orange themed Eixample Apartments.

Above: An Eixample apartment kitchen.

Above: The latest addition to Whotells: 22@Beach located less than 200 metres from Bogatell Beach in the Sant Marti district of Barcelona.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on February 5, 2010.

For more sights and lodgings in Spain, see Travels with an Editor: Barcelona publishing on Gardenista this week.

Wake up, draw back your indigo tie-dye curtains, check out the serene pool surrounded by woven leather beach chairs, contemplate a hike or a swim—it's the kind of Southern California scene dreams are made of. The owners of the Ojai Rancho Inn, Chris Sewell and Kenny Osehan (the team behind the Shelter Social Club), were looking to channel the mysticism of Ojai's bohemian era when they redesigned the roadhouse, drawing on the work of Los Angeles artists. Bonus points: just down the road from the Ojai Rancho Inn is the Krishnamurti Foundation, miles of olive groves, and Beatrice Wood's old house and studio.

Sewell and Osehan worked within the tight confines of Ojai's city permit structure (one with a fierce dedication to preservation of land), maintaining the original 1950s structure and pool while updating and infusing the hotel with midcentury furniture and amenities like an airstream trailer and rental bicycles (pets are allowed for a small fee).

Photography courtesy of Ojai Rancho Inn except where noted.

Above: For more information visit Ojai Rancho Inn and see AT's visit to the hotel. Photograph via IT Hunter.

Above: Photograph via IT Hunter.

Above: Classic deck chairs by the pool, a leftover from the original roadhouse, with slight upgrades.

Above: A grouping of handmade pendant lights from Heather Levine  whose pieces are featured throughout common areas and bedrooms.

Above: Terra cotta pots of succulents on a mantel.

Above: Artwork above the beds is a mix of pieces by Adam Pogue and jewelry designers All For the Mountain. The indigo tie dye curtains are from Lookout and Wonderland. Photograph via IT Hunter.

Above: Vintage telephones match the decor. Photograph via IT Hunter.

Above: Photograph via The Girl Scout Camp at Ojai Rancho Inn on The Glitter Guide.

Above: The bedrooms feature vintage midcentury furniture sourced from Amsterdam Modern.

Above: Enamel wall sconces with caged bulbs. Photograph via IT Hunter.

Above: The woven leather deckchairs with metal frames are from LA-based designer Eric Trine.

Above: As with the Shelter Social Club's other hotels, bicycle rentals are available for exploring nearby paths.

Above: Trine chairs around an outdoor fire pit—semi-private decks are available off of some bedrooms.

Above: Photograph via The Girl Scout Camp at Ojai Rancho Inn on The Glitter Guide.

Traveling in and around Ojai? See our favorite restaurants, shops, and hotels in the Los Angeles Area in our City Guides. See Heather Levine's lights in a completely different space in Le Mary Celeste: Coastal Cool in the Middle of the Marais.

Not for the faint of heart: the Canvas Hotel, featuring extreme cycling in Norway. Founded by a Norwegian mountain bike aficionado, the resort offers guided biking (for all levels) throughout the neighboring granite hills and forests. After a day of biking, guests can enjoy one of the portable soaking tubs or take a quick dip in the lake before retiring to the comfort of a yurt. Bare bones luxe, duly earned. For more, go to Canvas Hotel.

Above: One of several portable hot tubs for soaking a the end of the day.

Above: Mountain bikes at the ready.

Above: The interior of one of the wool-lined yurts that sit on wooden platforms covered in rugs.

Above: Each yurt comes with its own wood burning stove.

Above: The communal dining yurt.

Above: The table set for dinner.

Above: The surrounding granite terrain.

Provincetown, located at the tip of Cape Cod, has always been a bit scruffy (in a good way). Now, NYC-based hotel veterans Kevin O'Shea and David Bowd up the ante in Provincetown with Salt House Inn, a Hamptons-worthy bed and breakfast located in a 19th century shingled cottage.

Located in a 19th century building, which once housed the island's salt-mine workers, the b & b was completely overhauled by O'Shea (a Starwood Hotels interior designer) and David Bowd (C.O.O. of Andre Balazs properties). The couple, who split their time between New York City and Provincetown, used their own travel experiences as a guide while designing the hotel. Custom mattresses, luxury bed linens, walk-in showers (with rain shower heads), and flexible check-in times are among the perks guests can expect during their stay. For more information, go to Salt House Inn. 

Photographs via Salt House Inn, except where noted.

Above: Salt House Inn is housed in a New England traditional cedar-shingled building from the 19th century.

Above: The check-in desk.

Above: The suites feature exposed wooden beams and clawfoot tubs.

Above: Rusted pulleys serve as bedroom art.

Above: The room interiors are minimalist, with bright white walls and shiplap paneling. The hotel has a feel of Cape Cod beach cottage gone modern.

Above: A vintage lamp illuminates a corner.

Above: Whimsical curiosities are hung on the bedroom walls, all purchased and found from New England antique stores.

Above: A seating area in one of the bedrooms with a display of red oil lanterns. 

Above: The bathrooms are tiled in white with gray grout, and the walls are half painted in gray and white. Photo by Map & Menu.

Above: Breakfast is prepared by co-owner O'Shea and served communal style.

Above: The daily breakfast menu is written on a black chalkboard.

Above: Guests can enjoy the outdoor terrace during the summer months. 

Check out our City Guide to explore more East Coast Hotels. Also, if you like white-painted paneling, our post on Expert Advice: The Enduring Appeal of Shiplap is definitely worth a read.

The next time you're in Barcelona, soak up the city's infamous architecture by staying in the Praktik Rambla, a budget design hotel housed in the historic Casa Climent Arola building. Constructed in the beginning of the 19th century by the Spanish architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano (the Sagrada Familia was his commission first, as in pre-Gaudi), the grand building with is modern interiors allows you to immerse yourself seamlessly into the spirit of Barcelona.  

Unless otherwise noted, photos via Petite Passport.

Above: The mild undulation of the ornate facade foreshadows Gaudi's organic architecture. Photo via Praktik Rambla.

Above: The decorative details on the large scale doors and metal railings conjure a haunting grandeur of the past. 

Above: A band of black paint creates a headboard and modernizes the room with 19th century proportions and moldings creatively and inexpensively.

Above: Industrial lights used as reading lights have been painted out to match the headboard. 

Above: The industrial lights take advantage of the height of the room and also provide ambient light. 

Above: The beds are make with basic white linens and a contrasting gray blanket. 

Above: A tiled floor adds texture and color. Photo via Praktik Rambla.

Above: The bathrooms are tiled in dark colors.

Above: The Ikea Ps Maskros pendant hangs in the light-filled bathroom.

Now that we have your lodging in Barcelona covered, why don't you have a drink at Cafe Kafka or go shopping down the street at Diary Arxe. 

The map below shows the location of Praktik Rambla in the Eixample section of Barcelona. 

Here we go again: another Ace Hotel for the design world to obsess over (remember the flurry when the Roman & Williams-designed Ace opened in NYC?). The new buzz-generating Shoreditch outpost features the chain's signature Pacific Northwest grunge-industrial vibe (turntables included). Stay tuned: tomorrow we'll be deconstructing one of the bedrooms in our Steal This Look department.

Located in the overhauled former Crowne Plaza, the interiors have been transformed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby of Universal Design Studio (their offices are two blocks away). And as with his other Ace outposts, founder Alex Calderwood is keeping it local: Much of the furniture is from UK companies Benchmark and Ercol and the carpets come from family-run company Brockway. On the premises: Hattie Fox's That Flower Shop, a juice bar from Lovage, a coffee shop from Square Mile Coffee Roasters, and still to come, Hoi Polloi, a restaurant and bar from the team behind hot spot Bistrotheque.

Go to Ace Hotel Shoreditch for more information. Unless otherwise noted, all photos via Ace Hotel.

Above: The Ace team commissioned lighting made from vintage parts from French company Wo & Wé.

Above: Rooms feature wall murals and installations by Ace artist-in-residence Johnne Eschleman; photo via Monocle.

Above: The hotel's interiors hew to a moody palette of blacks, dark grays, neutrals, with a dash of teal here and there.

Above: A simple schoolroom-like seating area.

Above: Bedrooms feature quilts from French company APC made from denim and fabric scraps.

Above: A bedroom with its own vinyl collection.

Above: Turntables are by British audio company Rega.

Above: Fabric upholstered headboards with convenient storage pockets.

Above: Enamel tumblers from nearby shop Labour & Wait.

Above: Another lighting installation by French company Wo & Wé.

Above: Wall-mounted clipboards display hotel literature.

Above: Bathrobes from Wings + Horns can be purchased from the hotel's shop.

Above: The white-tiled baths have a minimalist vibe.

Take a tour of the Ace Hotel via our past posts (we've visited, and loved, them all):

Tucked inside of Palihotel on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles is a new restaurant from Brian Dunsmoor and Kris Tominaga, who first made their mark with pop-up canteen A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing. The two entrepreneurial chefs clearly share an affinity for Aesop's fables: their latest venture gets its name from "The Hart and the Hunter". In the tale, the hart spends his time admiring his antlers and loathing his too-slim legs. When the hunter's arrow causes the hart to snag his antlers on a branch, the hart says, "Alas! alas! We often despise what is most useful to us." The significance of the fable has a secret meaning to the owners, but our guess is it's a reminder to stay humble in the midst of increasing acclaim, and to cook what they know best: California fare tinged with more than a hint of the south. Have a look around. 

Photography by Dylan James Ho from Eat, Drink + Be Merry (unless otherwise noted).

Above: With its green and white octagonal floor tiles and family-style table, the restaurant has the vibe of a small southern kitchen smack in the middle of LA. Photograph courtesy of Palihotel. To see more of the hotel, visit our post Where the Brits Are: Palihotel in LA

Above: Seen throughout the restaurant are a collection of vintage portraits, ranging from dapper gentlemen to forest fauna.

Above L: Palihotel aprons hang against the restaurant's glazed tiled wall (for something similar, consider Waterworks' Grove Brickworks Tiles in Hull). Above R: Lemon squares and iced cookies on the bar. Both photographs courtesy of Palihotel.

Above: Visitors from another era—the gentleman's eyes match the blue on the wall.

Above: Cool blue is a theme throughout. The bar is the hub for the restaurant's coffee program, headed up by Christopher Abel Alameda, a barista from Handsome Coffee Roasters and Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea (LA's two main drip coffee haunts). Photograph courtesy of Palihotel.

Above: A portrait of a hart, an homage to the restaurant's namesake. 

Above: White-painted Tolix metal chairs are fitted with custom wooden seats, and the Hart and Hunter staff aren't afraid to add a folding chair to the mix. Photograph courtesy of Palihotel.

Above L: Smoked trout toast. Above R: A warm steak bowl with roasted cauliflower and green accompaniments. For more on the food, visit Eat, Drink + Be Merry.

Above: An equine portrait hangs over the dining room's old-fashioned sideboard and window into the kitchen. Book a reservation at The Hart and the Hunter 

Check out our recent post on the Palihotel's sister property, Palihouse in Santa Monica. For more of the city's standout restaurants, hotels, and shops, visit our Los Angeles Area City Guide. 

Location of The Hart and the Hunter in Los Angeles:

Designed by prolific Cape Cod architect Charles Zehnder in 1970, the Kugel Gips house—once slated for demolition—is the first completed project of the Cape Cod Modern House Trust, a group dedicated to documenting and preserving Bauhaus-era houses on Cape Cod by architectural luminaries such as Marcel Breuer, Nathaniel Saltonstall, and Eero Saarinan.

The house, which overlooks Northeast Pond, is available for rent during the summer months (a portion is tax-deductible); in the autumn and spring, artists and scholars can apply for a residency program. Visit Cape Cod Modern House Trust for booking information.

Above: The Kugel Gips House is a reflection of Zehnder's interest in the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and his time spent with the architect during his years at the University of Virginia.

Above: The structure is surrounded by a series of long cantilevered decks and roof overhangs. 

Above: The living room with brick hearth. 

Above: A view of the modest kitchen partitioned by a shingled wall.

Above: The living room overlooks the serene pond.

Above: The modest sleeping quarters with concrete brick walls—according to the Cape Cod Modern House Trust, Zehnder was influenced by the geometric concrete bunker formations in Normandy.

Above: Concrete walls continue into the bathroom.

Above: The deck overlooks Northeast Pond, one of Wellfleet's many freshwater kettle ponds.

Above: The clear waters of Northeast Pond.

Penelope Green captured the vibe of my Cape Cod childhood in A Childhood Home, and Poet's Muse.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on August 9, 2010 as part of our Cape Cod Modern issue.

Ilse Crawford's design for the Olde Bell Inn, an Elizabethan-era hotel in the UK, is a brilliant mashup of rustic and modern—you can almost smell the wood smoke. Recreate the look with the elements shown below.

Above: Ilse Crawford of Studioilse designed the dining room at the Olde Bell Inn, which features black-painted ceiling beams, chairs, and doorways. Photographs of the Olde Bell Inn via Design Tripper.

Above: Crawford used leather straps to anchor Welsh blankets to high-back benches.

Above: Matthew Hilton Fin Chairs for De La Espada (see below) contrast with traditional textiles.

Above: Tea is served in traditional red-clay Brown Betty teapots.

Above: Venerable UK company Davey Lighting began making lights in the 19th century; the Box Wall Light is simultaneously modern and historical; it's available at Heal's for £415. For something similar in the US, consider the Union Filament Bath Sconce ($239) from Restoration Hardware.

Above: Crawford sourced hand-woven rush matting from Rush Matters in Bedfordshire, England. English Floor Rush Matting is made to measure, starting at £150 per square meter.

Above: The simple Windsor-style Salt Chair in black is $98 from Design Within Reach.

Above: Studioilse's Bench With Black for De La Espada is made of solid chestnut and has copper feet.

Above: UK designer Matthew Hilton's Fin Dining Chair is available in American white oak or American black walnut; $1,125 at De La Espada.

Above: The dining room banquettes are outfitted with Welsh tapestry blankets. Blankets from Melin Tregwynt's Black and White Collection start at £129. For a leather strap like the ones fastening the blankets, try the Chestnut English Bridle Leather Strap; $15.80 for the 84-inch version from Outfitters Supply.

Above: Tarnished antique pewter platters; for something similar, consider Juliska's Pewter Stoneware line.

Above: Stamped plates are displayed on the dining room walls. For a similar look, San Francisco-based ceramist Rae Dunn makes hand-stamped porcelain plates like this Party Dress Platter for $125.

Above: Accessorize with iron keys, like a set of Antique Skeleton Keys for $16 from Key Boogie on Etsy; photograph via French Gypsy on Etsy.

Above: Peugeot's Dark Wood Pepper Mill is $43.32 at Amazon. It's one of the designs featured in Remodelista, our new book, in the Remodelista 100, a roundup of our favorite everyday objects.

Above: The classic Brown Betty Teapot is made of terracotta and finished with a brown glaze; the six-cup size is $26.99 at the English Tea Store.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on March 13, 2012 as part of our issue, The Celtic Angle.

Steal This Look is a longstanding weekly Remodelista column. Have a look at all the Steal This Looks in our archive, including A Low-Cost Kitchen for Serious Cooks and A Finnish Cottage Kitchen and Dining Room.

Last summer a group of Brooklyn impresarios—Robin Scott and Jamie Wiseman, owners of the nightclub Output, along with Diego Galarza and Eduardo Suarez, of Williamsburg restaurants, El Almacen and Rosarito Fish Shack—opened the Playland Motel on Rockaway Beach Boulevard in Queens. A hotel, restaurant, and beach hangout for hipsters—just jump on the A train—the year-round getaway is located in a resuscitated 19th century building a block from the beach and the subway. Polar bear swimmers welcome.

Importing their music and food, the owners also introduced their own decor by giving artists, local and international, the creative license to transform the twelve bedrooms into handmade installations. We say: It was only a matter of time before Brooklynites moved beyond the borders of Brooklyn.

Unless otherwise noted, images via Playland Motel. 

Above: The Playland Motel is named after the Rockaway Playland Amusement Park that was torn down in the 1980s. Weathered wood siding on the exterior hints at the unexpected interiors.

Above: The mix of natural wood on the floor, weathered wood on the bar, and and painted wood on the walls lends a relaxed beach shack atmosphere to the restaurant and bar.

Above: Yellow painted window frames and orange tabletops add cheer.

Above: The artists Robbie & Apples created a room within a room by paint-blasting a Teepee from Indoek Wavewam. Also see artist Sallie Scott's Instant Guest Bedroom, which she created out of a canvas tent. 

Above: British fashion designer Simon Spurr used white and green paint to play with the concept of perspective in his room. 

Above: Spurr was inspired by the work of minimalist artists from the 1960s, such as Sol Lewitt, Robert Mangold, and Brice Marden.

Above: Melanie Dizon and Marina Burini devised a textured backdrop by hanging knotted macrame strands from metal rods.

Above: Ben Pundole of A Hotel's Life and Jessica Baker of Baker Creative Productions introduced a marine-blue color block while mixing in nautical motifs. They describe their concept as, "If my yacht dreams collided with a Wes Anderson movie."

Above: Music and entertainment producer Javier Padraza Polo and artist Adrien Travis upholstered a wall with a grid of fasteners, creating the tufted look of a Chesterfield sofa.

Above: Argentinian-born Brooklyn artist Frederico Saenz-Recio fashioned a low headboard from a white-washed piano. Image via A Hotel Life.

Explore more of the Playland Motel at Artists and Rooms. Off-season rates range from $99 to $125; in season they're $150 to $250.

Brooklynites pride themselves in their strong identity; our favorite Design Haunts in Brooklyn will explain all. Interested in more DIY hotels? See The Homemade Hotel Baja Hotel, $75 Night Edition.

 Location of the Playland Motel in Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York:

Dating back to the 16th century, Huberhaus is a traditional alpine log dwelling located in the Upper Valais, an area noted for its skiing and mountain scenery (the Matterhorn included).

This rustic house sat empty for 70 years before it was renovated; the owners preserved the original wood walls and floors and added modern touches (a state of the art kitchen, for instance). For more information, go to Urlaubsarchitektur, which also offers other architecturally worthy homes to rent in Europe.

Above: The wood-burning stove in the kitchen is the only source of heat in the house.

Above: The dining room retains its original timber walls.

Above: A modern kitchen has been installed in a stonework setting.

Above: Double doors create an indoor/outdoor feel.

Above: The living room is furnished with modern designs sourced in Switzerland.

Above: A new metal stair rail has been artfully paired with the original wooden stairs.

Above: The original upstairs bedroom.

Above; The bathroom is a modern addition to the rear of the building.

Above: The house dates to the 16th century.

Above: The Alpine view.

Looking for more Swiss Finds? Take a look at the country's most coveted spa stay.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on February 2, 2013 as part of our On the Mountain issue.

The small Belgian town of Wevelgem in West Flanders was once devoted to flax cultivation (weavers would soak their crop in the De Leie river running through town). Today, the area, within biking distance of the French border, is known for its old churches, WWI cemeteries, cycling and walking trails, and Heerlijkheid van Marrem, a historic farmstead available to rent.

When owners Natalie and Dominque purchased the farm in 2007, they leaned on their remodeling and interior design experience to renovate the property, which was built in the mid-18th century but has parts that date to the 15th century. First, they tackled the caved-in stable walls in the gatehouse, then the carriage house, the square main farmhouse, and so on, preserving all of the original features and artfully mingling them with spare modern rustic designs. Heerlijkheid van Marrem, Dutch for "The Glory of Marrem" (marrem refers to the marshland in the area), accommodates 20-23 people in four buildings—it's available only to one group at a time and is ideal for families or groups of friends. The couple, who live at the farm with their three young sons, have also added a flock of floppy-eared black and white British Suffolk sheep, some donkeys, and a Belgian draft horse. Come have a look.

Above: The arched entrance opens to the main house and farm buildings arrayed around a cobblestone courtyard.

Above: The main house has an integrated dining area and new kitchen. (Refrigerator, microwave, washing machine, and dryer are all stored in a room off the kitchen.) 

Above:  A fresh interpretation of the farmhouse kitchen: concrete countertops, a gas range, and pale wood paneling.

Above: Rustic wood cabinets framed with concrete. Interested in recreating the look? See our Remodeling 101 post on concrete countertops. 

Above: In each building, Natalie and Dominque adhered to a palette of raw natural materials (concrete, linden wood, and linen) and pale colors (chalky white and gray).

Above: Ladders, stools, and other rustic antiques were sourced from France and Italy.

Above: Set up for families (or groups who like togetherness), the sleeping loft in the farmhouse has multiple beds and an en suite bath tub. "The playful original architecture has led to a fascinating sequence of living, sleeping, and relaxation areas connected by stairs, walkways, and mezzanines," explain the owners.

Above: The building known as the Hayloft has a spacious dining room and sleeps six. 

Above: The farm's answer to the home office. For those who are interested, the owners sell some of their farmhouse antiques and decorations.

Above: An all-white bedroom in a 17th century barn with a towering ceiling.

Above: No need for a spa—Heerlijkheid van Marrem has its own wood-paneled sauna and shower area in the main house.

Above: Olive oil toiletries by Compagnie de Provence.

Above: The sauna has room for six.

Above: Canal-side picnicking. The Heerlijkheid van Marrem farm is available to rent from a Friday to Sunday, or Monday to Friday. For more details and reservations, go to Heerlijkheid van Marrem; also visit the farm's main site.

See our recent post that the Heerlijkheid van Marrem kitchen inspired: 10 Favorites: Rustic Wood Clad Vent Hoods, and check out surrounding places to visit in our Belgian City Guide.

Location of Heerlijkheid van Marrem Guesthouse in Wevelgem, East Flanders:

Set in a stripped-down 1960s Hyatt in LA's buzzing Koreatown, the now debuting Line Hotel—from the owner of New York's NoMad—takes a refreshingly raw approach to the architectural makeover. Hotel impresario Andrew Zobler of the Sydell Group let loose an impressive creative team, including It Boy chef Roy Choi and LA designer Sean Knibb, to reinvent a dinosaur building. Located in one of the most round-the-clock neighborhood's in the city—just three miles from Downtown, and six miles from Beverly Hills—The Line is about to unveil a trio of Roy Choi restaurants, a night club, and a Poketo-curated newsstand and boutique. In the meantime, 388 concrete rooms stand ready. 

Above: Situated to take in the sweeping city views, the beds have desks as headboards—"to maximize the space and give the guest a large commanding workspace (or place to put their things) that faces the window," says designer Sean Knibb of Knibb Design in LA.

Above:  "We started with the concept of repurpose—use as much of the existing structure as possible, and take materials that would not usually be considered luxurious and elevate them through substitution," says Knibb. Towards that end, he photographed the structure's exposed concrete and then had it turned into wallpaper, which is actually what lines the walls of the rooms. It was custom made by Astek in LA. Each room also has a chair upholstered in a vintage Mexican serape, a painted coffee table with a "cityscape" built from books, and a photo collage by Kevin Hanley of LA's Acme gallery. Knibb Design created the rakish lamp.

 Above: So bad it's good? A new sculpture inspired by mid-century artist Curtis Jere's metal flocks of birds. 

Above: A double room with a Knibb Design hanging light and hits of tomato red, inspired, says Knibb, by the colors of Koreatown. The porcelain laundry jug vases by artist Foekje Fleur, he points out, "contribute to the recurring themes of repurposed design and elevation through substitution."

Above: A sitting area with serape-upholstered chairs and a hexagonal marble table. The furniture is available to order from Knibb Design. 

Above: Don't overpack: A compact closet and shelving made of bleached ash.

Above: Bathrooms are white-tiled and detailed with bleached ash and gold fixtures.

Above: Soon to open: POT, Roy Choi's take on the Korean hot pot restaurant. We like the floral strewn, two-toned walls and Emeco wood and metal Lancaster Chairs.

Above: The 1964 structure, designed by architects Daniel Mann Johnson + Mendenhall, rises about the palms and the neighborhood hubbub. 

Another new LA hotel to check out? See A Mediterranean Beach Lodge, Santa Monica Edition.

Hidden on a pristine beach in the Oaxaca surf town of Puerto Escondido, Hotel Escondido is the latest addition to a roster of Mexican boutique hotels created by Grupo Habita (which also owns the Hotel Americano in New York). Escondido follows the same formula as the others: small scale, good design, and just a touch of luxury. In this case that translates to guest quarters in 16 beachside palapas with air conditioning and private pools. For outdoorsy types, there's surfing and birding. A hotel beach club and underground bar also await.

Photos via Grupo Habita. 

Above: Federico Rivera Río of CHK Arquitectura designed the interiors using a largely neutral palette with accents of Mexican-inspired color.

Above: The floors of each palapa are inlaid with tropical hardwoods. We love the way the painted striped floor defines the space around the bed—it's something to try at home.

Above: The rooms have a modern rustic look, with simple furniture and local finds on display.

Above: Though the palapa rooftops are a nod to traditional Oaxacan design, each 375-square-foot hut is equipped with modern luxuries, including air conditioning, polished concrete baths, and private decks with plunge pools.

Above: Set directly in the sand, a 50-meter pool and wood deck run parallel to the ocean.

Above: Though the hotel has a restaurant and "acoustically isolated" hidden underground club, the property is tranquil and sparsely populated—at least so far.

Above: An ideal spot for apres-surf lounging.

Above: The small town of Puerto Escondido is known for world-class surfing, and nearby opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and birding await. 

Below: Hotel Escondido's location on Oaxaca's Pacific coast. Visitors fly into Puerto Escondido Airport or Huatulco Airport, both of which have flights from Mexico City. For rates and booking information, visit Hotel Escondido.

Read about the other Grupo Habita hotels in Mexico in A Midcentury Classic Is Reborn in Acapulco, Hotels & Lodging: Hotel Condesa DF in Mexico, and Hotels & Lodging: Hotel Azucar in Veracruz. 

As editor of Travel + Leisure magazine, Nancy Novogrod seems to be eternally leaving for or returning from Asia (I know this because I had the pleasure of working for her at T + L for 14 years). So, of course, when we were scouting for projects in China, I gave her a call. Formerly the editor of House & Garden, she's always on the lookout for arresting design and immediately pointed us to the work of Shanghai architecture firm Neri & Hu Design and Research Office. This is what we found:

Photographs via Neri & Hu, unless noted.

Above: The Waterhouse at South Bund hotel is housed in a former Japanese army headquarters located in the Cool Docks, the city's revitalized and very happening old port. Photograph by Pedro Pegenaute.

Above: Neri & Hu preserved the three-story 1930s concrete structure while inserting a new floor and roof deck of Cor-Ten steel.

Above: The towering lobby presents a striking combination of the crumbling and the contemporary. The long window above the reception desk supplies a glimpse into a guest room. Neri & Hu explain that their design introduces "a blurring and inversion of the interior and exterior, as well as between public and private realms, creating a disorienting yet refreshing spatial experience."

Above: A white chandelier floats in the space lending a note of ghostly grandeur. 

Above: There are 19 guests rooms, each with minimalist furniture that lets the views dominate. In this example, the floor, bed, and viewing platform are all made of the same pale wood.

Above: Frameless windows are one of the structure's signature design elements. This one offers bathers the full sweep of the city, from ancient rooftops to sparkling skyline. Photograph by Tuomas Uusheimo via Arch Daily.

Above: An ode to an old Italian courtyard? Neri & Hu inserted shuttered windows in the center of the building which overlooks the Huangpo River. Photograph by Derryck Menere via Dezeen.

Above: A new version of the ensuite bathroom: a glass bathing chamber that divides bedroom from bath.

Above: The hotel's restaurant, Table No. 1—singled out by Travel + Leisure as the best restaurant in Shanghai in 2011—has communal tables of unfinished wood. The space is made intimate by a wood ceiling and gray-washed brick floor, while a wall of windows floods the room with light.

Above: No design detail was overlooked, down to the rustic pencil selection.  

Above: Views of the Huangpo River from the rooftop cocktail bar. The architects' choice of brown steel is a salute to the setting's industrial past as a dockyard. For additional information and reservations, go to The Waterhouse at South Bund.

For more of Neri & Hu's work, see today's post Strange but True: Tapas in Shanghai. And if you like the idea of a concrete chic hotel, have a look at The Line in LA's Koreatown.

A tip from my Travel + Leisure hotline: If seeing the Great Wall of China is at the top of your bucket list, you can stay practically within touching distance of i, and in great style, at Commune by the Great Wall. In 2001, a dozen prominent Asian architects were invited to build their dream villas at the site. Considered a new Chinese wonder, the resort has since grown into an enclave of 35 dramatic contemporary houses, some rented by the night in their entirety, some offering individual hotel rooms. As Traveler describes it, "In a poetic juxtaposition, your view presents what China was—a stronghold against the world—whereas your villa represents what it's poised to be: a dynamic, forward-thinking force." Our pick of the lodgings: Japanese architect Kengo Kuma's dreamy Bamboo Wall house, which proved so popular, Commune constructed six replicas of it. Here's the original:

Photographs via Commune by the Great Wall, unless noted.

Above: Part of the structure is built over a pool of water (though the replicas rise over a gravel garden). The walls are constructed of bamboo canes spaced to allow in light. The walkway leads to a very memorable setting for tea.

Above: The house's six bedrooms have futons resting on tatami mats. In this one, a wooden kimono rack serves as sculpture and a place to drape clothes.

Above: The design of the house was inspired by classic Chinese construction and by the rambling Great Wall itself, which rises as part of the landscape. Kengo Kuma writes that he consciously called his design a wall, not a house, and adds: "The Great Wall in the past partitioned off two cultures, but this Bamboo Wall would not only partition but also unite life and culture." 

Above: A bamboo ceiling, walls, and supports in the dining room. (The house has a kitchen, but we were informed by the hotel that it's ornamental, and that there are two restaurants on site, one Chinese, the other Western style.) Photograph via Inspiration Green.

Above: Bamboo of many widths was employed, including bamboo cups for accessories.

Above: In a bedroom, a modern version of a classic Chinese low seat is situated windowside.

 Above: After hiking on the Great Wall and touring the other houses on the property, your own lounge awaits with views of the Shuiguan Mountains. Photograph via Inspiration Green.

Commune by the Great Wall is an hour and 15 minute drive from the Beijing airport. It has its own private path to a verdant, unrestored part of the Badaling section of the Great Wall. The original Bamboo Wall house sleeps 12 and rents for RMB15,000 (approximately $2,460 per night, or about $200 per person, plus a 15 percent service charge). Individual rooms are available in the Bamboo Wall house replicas for RMB2480 (approximate $406). To see the range of houses and hotel rooms available, go to Commune by the Great Wall.

Ready to live with bamboo? See our Remodeling 101 post: The Mystery of Bamboo Floors Revealed and Gardenista's Bamboo: The Re-Think. For more of our favorite lodgings the world over, peruse our Hotels & Lodgingposts, including Beautiful Ruin: The Waterhouse in Shanghai.

When it comes to Airstream trailers, we're like a flock of magpies or seagulls: the shinier, the better. Dreaming of your own polished aluminum quarters? Here are 10 classic midcentury examples that have been inventively restored and put to use as hotel rooms, guest houses, home offices, and in a few cases travel vehicles.

Above: A 1952 model renovated by a yacht interior designer functions as a hotel room at The Hotel Daniel in Vienna.

Above: One of many restored Airstreams seen on Vintage Seekers via Design Sponge.

Above: Landscape architect Andreas Stavropoulos transformed a 1959 Airstream trailer into a fully functioning office. Stravropoulos—pictured here—parks the trailer behind a Berkeley, CA, co-op; first seen on Sunset Magazine.

Above: The accommodations at Atlantic Byron Bay resort in Australia include this fully equipped Airstream imported from America.

Above: In Albany, California, just north of Berkeley, is Flowerland nursery with a trailer coffee shop featured on Gardenista.

Above: Vancouver's Le Marché St. George café and grocery crew often picnic and camp out of their 1969 Airstream Land Yacht.

Above: A room at Liz Lambert's El Cosmico hotel in Marfa, Texas; photograph by Brian Rose.

Above: A 1955 Spartan aluminum trailer renovated by interior designer Jane Hallworth in Los Angeles.

Above: A 1965 Airstream Safari recast by Area 63 Productions and interior designer Caroline Brandes for rent on her property in Big Sur, California.

Above: Texan firm Baldridge Architects converted the interior of a disused 1970s Airstream trailer into a green room for artists performing at Stubbs Barbecue and Waller Creek Amphitheater in downtown Austin.

Above: Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory member Christopher C. Deam designed the diminutive Airstream Bambi, an updated version of the classic.

Above: At Hotel Fabriken Furillen on the Swedish island of Gotland, Wi-Fi-free cabins and Airstream trailers surround the perimeter of the main hotel.

Ever thought of living in a box? See our post 10 Houses Made from Shipping Containers. Ready for a mobile lifestyle? Have a look at our On the Road posts: A Makeover for a Maine Bus and Hank Bought A Bus.

The Grand Hotel et de Milan has been a cultural fixture since 1863, when architect Andrea Pizzala designed the neo-Gothic building near Milan's La Scala opera house in the center of the city. The hotel has always been held exclusively by the Bertazzoni family, and not a single generation has shied away from opulence and ornamentation. Each redesign is an update on the ancient Milanese house, and the latest, by Emiliano Salci and Britt Moran of Milan's Dimore Studio, is no exception.

Salci and Moran reinvented the bedrooms and suites, blending antiques with modern accents, and permitting each bedroom to marinate in a rich color palette of warm gray walls and crimson velvets. The hotel values itself as a "point of reference for guests in search of luxury, discretion, and privacy," the owners say. Giuseppe Verdi, countesses, famous flutists, opera singers, and filmmakers have all been on the hotel's roster. We have a feeling they'd approve of the recent redesign:

Above: The hotel's history is as vibrant as its main lobby: towards the end of the 19th century, the Grand was the only hotel in Milan to offer postal and telegraph services. The resulting frequent use by diplomats and businessmen is what put the hotel on the map.

Above: A series of bedrooms are dedicated to notable figures of the Italian opera; this one celebrates Giorgio Strehler, who set up the Piccolo Teatro della Città di Milano in 1947. Framed photographs, etchings, and writings from Strehler decorate the quarters.

Above: Dimore Studio's passion for Milanese history is on view in every nook and corner.

Above: Another bedroom is a mix of burgundy and crimson, velvet and dark wood.

Above: Romantic old-world detailing has been reintroduced in a fresh way.

Above: A modern settee sits before a pair of antique Milanese ormolu-decorated beds.

Above: Dimore Studio's elaborate bedside vignettes mix opera photographs with metallic accents.

Above: A bed in a romantic alcove with art in gilded frames that pick out the patina of the antique furniture.

Above: The Hotel et de Milan's 151 year old crest.

Above: For booking information, visit the Grand Hotel et de Milan.

For more of our favorite spots in Milan, see Pave Cafe: A Place Like Home, interiors art gallery Spazio Rossana Orlandi, the ASAP shop (which stands for as sustainable as possible), and modern blacksmith Antonino Sciortino's Furniture

Last week, on a snow escape in LA, my mother, sister, and I made a pilgrimage downtown to visit Dosa and inspect the overnight gentrification we'd been hearing about. "Well, this is a bit of ghost town," my mother said as we hobbled along gritty South Broadway. And then we spotted in quick succession, the sparkling new Acne Studios boutique and Hello LA on the side of very grand tower. We followed the greeting and found ourselves in the exalted lobby and cafe of the new Ace Hotel. "Now it feels like we're on vacation," my mother said, approvingly taking in the Ace's surprising mix of opulence, functionality, and wit. How we wish were still there.

Our photographer friend Laure Joliet dropped in on the Ace on a blue sky day just after we did, camera in hand. Here's her visual report (and apologies to all of you who are snowbound, we don't mean to torment you).

Photographs by Laure Joliet for Remodelista.

EXTERIOR & LOBBY 

Above: According to the Ace team, the Spanish Gothic design of its building, the 1927 United Artists theater and adjoining tower, was inspired by "Mary Pickford's love for the ornate detail and stone spires of Spanish castles and cathedrals." The 13-story structure served over the decades as Texaco's headquarters and, more recently, as as a Christian ministry center (complete with giant neon "Jesus Saves" sign, still intact). Reborn as the latest outpost of the Ace Hotel, it anchors a formerly barren stretch of Broadway in Downtown LA, now in the midst of a dramatic revitalization.

Above: The lobby's new doors are adorned with stenciling and original Gothic trefoils—the Ace way is to combine historic details with affordable contemporary flourishes, which it terms "a mixture of reverent awe and irreverent independence." The Ace LA is the sixth Ace (the upstart group also has locations in Portland, Oregon, NYC, Palm Springs, Seattle, and London).

Above: The entry has a cathedral-like feel. The extraordinary remodel and recasting of the building is the work of LA design collective Commune led by project designer Roman Alonso and his business partner Pam Shamshiri. Summarizing the three year project, Alonso says, "We stripped down the interior of the tower and discovered a modernist, brutalist concrete structure. We recreated it from there, looking to LA's mishmash of  Gothic historic styles and also the work of LA modernists. We wanted it to be the voice of LA."

Above: A view of the lobby through a newly created arched entry with original restored plasterwork that once surrounded movie posters. The black and white tiles are cement.

Above: Pencil drawings by the Haas Brothers—28 year old twins in LA who collaborate on art and design—adorn the walls. "We asked them: if there were cave paintings of life in LA over the last 100 years, what would they look like?" says Alonso. They responded with graphite glyphs of missile-like floating palms, personalities (Diane Keaton, Ed Ruscha, Abbot Kinney), and local mountain ranges (visible over the front door). As with all Ace hotels, local artists and artisans were recruited to have a hand in all the details.

 Above: The reception desk was built by the Haas brothers using carved paneling salvaged from an office in the building; they carved their own swirling pattern into the wood and inset oil paintings of palm trees in the smog. 

Above: "The lobby was an exercise in covering up ugly ducts and mechanical stuff," confides Alonso. Commune inventively responded to the challenge by turning perforated metal into retail display areas. The grand looking paneled ceiling is a stage set of sorts: inexpensive black-painted homasote crowned with shelves that display theater books (accessed, if necessary, by ladder). My mother, sister and I were so taken with it all that we crowded into the lobby photo booth and then splurged on an Ace Sweatshirt (for my son whose nickname is Ace).

RESTAURANT 

Above: Commune restored the building's iron grillwork and entirely created a storefront for the in-house restaurant, LA Chapter. The checked sidewalk is original.

Above: LA Chapter is from the team behind Brooklyn hotspot Five Leaves. It's furnished with classic Thonet Banana chairs and custom tables with brass tops and Adolf Loos-style sconces. "It's meant to evoke a Viennese coffee house built in LA in the late 1920's," says Alonso.

Above: The coffee window—we recommend pairing a pot of Earl Gray with the house ginger cookies, which are both sweet and salty and the best any of us had ever tasted. More of the Haas brothers' drawings are visible in the restaurant—inspiring my artist sister to text her husband and alert him that she plans to start sketching all over their house.

Above: Patterned tiles—yet another detail we'd like to bring home, and it turns out we can. Inspired by the work of Brazilian artist Burle Marx, they're part of Commune's Sitio Collection from Exquisite Surfaces. (Have a look at Commune's wood floors from Exquisite Surfaces here.)

Above: A counter situated by the elevator has a stained glass view into the restaurant. The glass is the work of The Judson Studios, a fifth generation workshop in LA's Highland Park. Commune wanted to feature a Mondrian-esque design, but the local Historic Preservation Society (which oversees the landmarked theater) insisted on something Gothic—"so we blew up a Gothic design and turned it on its side," says Alonso. See more in our recent post Downtown LA's Splashiest New Restaurant.

MEZZANINE 

Above: Two sizes of tongue and groove paneling—3 inch and 9 inch—were used in the restaurant and stair that leads to a satellite sitting area. The woodwork is painted a dark green that reads almost as black—a shade modeled after Fine Paints of Europe's Color 7589. 

Above: The mezzanine overlooks the restaurant (and offers table service). The rattan chairs are vintage and the 1950s sofa is upholstered in a signature Ace material, recycled army tent fabric. 

Above: In lieu of lounging in the lobby, the mezzanine offers a variety of seating options.

ROOMS

Above: Witty DIY wallpaper: each landing is decorated with wheatpasted pages from old Hollywood scripts that provide a backdrop for stenciled signage.

Above: The guests rooms take their cues from the modernist designs of LA architect Rudolph Schindler, and also make great use of economical materials. Walls are paneled with homasote boards for warmth, texture, and sound proofing. (An age-old green material made of paper pulp—and a Schindler favorite—the panels are affixed with steel screws and leather construction washers.) The built-in furniture is inexpensive and durable MDF that's been stained black. Aside from the Noguchi globes, all of the lighting in the hotel is by Atelier de Troupe, one of our LA favorites.

Above: "We maintained as much of the original concrete, as we could; it had so much character," says Alonso. In contrast to the industrial ceilings, the beds have custom Mondrian-patterned Pendleton blankets, available from the Ace gift shop. The carpeting is in a midcentury color Commune dubbed "Grandma gold." There are a total of 182 rooms, and a lucky few come with acoustic Martin guitars.

Above: A double sink with a honed Carrara marble top rests on a steel base that was inspired by the balconies of the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany. The cross-handled faucets are unlacquered brass from Waterworks' .25 Collection. The custom mirrors each have a support that doubles as hook for hanging soap. The tissue box is stitched saddle leather made in Mexico for Commune.

Above: In order to incorporate showers into small guest rooms, the designers installed steel and glass partitions in place of walls. What looks like a shoeshine stool is the work of the Moreras, a father and son team in Culver City, who spent two years making more than 200 for the Ace. (The Morera Work Box, in a patchwork of woods and laminates, is available from the Commune Shop.) For more on the Ace bathrooms, see our recent Steal This Look.

Above L: The Do Not Disturb sign reinvented in particle board. Above R: A braided saddle leather TP holder. Handmade in Mexico, it hangs from a bolt and hook—"not the easiest thing to install," says Alonso, "It's secured to dry wall with blocking behind it. Like so much that's here, it really had to be engineered."

For reservations, go to the Ace Hotel.

We've loved and visited all of the Ace's outposts; have a look at our Ace Hotel posts, including the hotel that launched the look, the Ace in Portland, and the Ace Hotel Shoreditch, which opened in London this past fall.

A onetime medieval French settlement is transformed into a bucolic bolthole by a couple from Amsterdam.

Located in Le Perche, a national park in the Basse-Normandie region, a few hours outside Paris, D'une Ile is a hotel comprised of nine cottages and a restaurant. Husband and wife team Michel Mulder and Sofie Sleumer (he's a professional chef and she's an interior designer) collaborated on the design of the rooms; the result is a perfect merging of their talents and a manifestation of what they love to do best. For more information, go to D'une Ile.

Photography by Studio Aandacht for Trend Tablet (except where noted).

Above: Owners Michel Mulder and Sofie Sleumer.

Above: Tables are set with vintage china.

Above: The cottages are dressed in vintage furniture and accessories. The couple restored much of the furniture themselves, and some pieces are for sale to guests.

Above L: A cozy kid's seating area with a sheepskin throw. Above R: Whitewashed walls and a reupholstered settee in green velvet.

Above: The mix of vintage finds lend the cottages a laid-back boho vibe.

Above: A bedroom featuring the original exposed beams with whitewashed walls and contemporary lighting. Photo by D'une Ile.

Above: An all-white bedroom with a vintage ladder as headboard.

Above: A roomy bathroom with a claw foot tub and old tile floor. Photo by D'une Ile.

Above: Exposed beams and hexagonal tile flooring can be seen throughout the buildings.

Above: The medieval enclave—a restaurant and nine cottages—that make up D'une Ile. Photo by D'une Ile.

Looking for more lodging and restaurants in France? See 75 more suggestions in our France Travel Guide, including a Romantic Rental in Provence and an Edgy Bar in Paris.

N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on February 11, 2013 as part of our L'Amour issue.